Native to Central and South America, cayenne pepper is also called cow horn pepper, but if you saw a jar of cow horn pepper sitting on your spice rack, you might not reach for it very often! The name cayenne comes from a small town in French Guiana, where the pepper is cultivated. An excellent source of Vitamin A, cayenne packs the same heat wallop as Tabasco® sauce, and makes a great substitute when you want pure heat without the added vinegar.

Cooking or baking?Cooking, mostly, but also baking.

Storage:On the spice rack, in a tightly-sealed tin or glass jar, for up to 1 year. I keep a small supply near my cooking area, and extra pepper in the freezer to prolong its shelf life.

Butternut squash macaroni and cheese

Adapted from marthastewart.com, this mac and cheese pleased young and old and vegetarians at our holiday table. You can substitute any type of squash, and any type of short, stubby pasta. The little pinch of cayenne pepper adds balance to the dish, so don't omit it. Serves 6.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine squash, water (or stock) and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

This is gorgeous - what a beautiful color. My nephews turned up their nose at my butternut squash puree at Thanksgiving. Apparently, they had some sort of childhood trauma. But I'll bet if I served it to them as Mac and Cheese they would eat it up!

THAT IS IT! I CAN"T HANDLE THESE DELICIOUS RECIPES ANYMORE!
ok - not true - but seriously any pasta and cheese combo has me drooling and adding the squash, cayenne is just pure genius.
(sorry I think I am slightly edgy from dieting!)

(Name is required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Name is required to post a comment

Please enter a valid email address

Invalid URL

Name:

Email address:

URL:

Comment:

Welcome to The Perfect Pantry®

My name is Lydia Walshin. From my tiny kitchen in Boston's South End, I share recipes that use what we keep in our pantries, the usual and not-so-usual ingredients that spice up our lives. Thanks so much for visiting.